Wire heading tool



June 17, 1952 w v so 2,601,186

WIRE HEADING TooL Filed Aug. 50, 1946 Fqlcf WILLIAM A. l//Ms0/v.,

5r H/5 A rrokwsrs wee/s, A4507; fbsrzmwme/ Patented June 17, 1952 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE HEADING TOOL William A. Vinson, Madera, Calif.Application August 30, 1946, Serial No. 693,871

4 Claims. 1

My invention relates to a device for deforming the end of a cylindricalelement to form a head or enlargement thereon and will be exemplified asa hand tool for forming an enlarged head on the end of a wire byupsetting the end.

In electrically connecting the end of a wire to another wire, terminalconnector, etc., my copending application Serial No. 714,508, filedDecember 6, 1946, and now abandoned, shows the desirability of employingan end-headed wire with the head fitting into a suitable space of aconnector or terminal. It is desirable that the head be formed on thewire by a simple, portable and easily actuated device and it is animportant object of the invention to provide a device usable in thisconnection or in deforming the end of other cylindrical elements.

Another object is to clamp the wire or other cylindrical element by useof a self-locking clamping means facilitating insertion, clamping andremoval of the wire or other element. In its preferred embodiment, theinvention employs a toggle means in this connection, preferably a pairof toggle jaws, and another object of the invention is to employ novellyrelated toggle jaws and a novel support therefor capable of withstandingstrong spreading forces to which the jaws are subjected.

Another object is to employ two toggle jaws which are movedsimultaneously and through equal angles and to urge these resilientlytoward clamping positions.

Still a further object is to provide a device capable of deforming orheading wires or other cylindrical elements of various size withoutcomplicated adjustment of the device or replacing of parts thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from the following description of an exemplaryembodiment.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a hand tool embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the upper portion thereof, taken in thedirections of arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view, partially broken away, of the hand tool.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 4-4 ofFig.3.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the tool with a cover plate removed, beingtaken along the line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 shows the type of head formed on a wire by the tool.

Referring particularly to Fig. l, the tool is indicated generally by thenumeral I0 and is shown as including a body integral with or secured toa fixedhandle l2. The body provides an upwardly facing space l5, bestshown in Fig. 4, having an open upper end and, in the illustratede1nbodiment, two open sides one opening toward the front and one openingtoward the rear. The front side is closed by a front side plate l6 heldin place by a countersunk screw l l and by a projecting screw [8threaded into the body The rear side is closed by a rear side plate l9similarly held in place by screws similar to 11 or, if desired, formedintegral with the body H.

The invention includes a self-locking clamping means 20 for clamping awire or other cylindrical element with its end extending in the spaceI5. This means is illustrated as a toggle means, preferably atoggle-acting vise means including toggle jaws 2| and 22 pivoted toswing from a closed or clamping position, shown by full lines in Fig. 4,to an open or retracted position, the maximum open position beingindicated by dotted lines 23 of Fig. 4.

The jaws 2| and 22 respectively provide forward ends 24 and 25 adjacenteach other and rear ends 26 and 21.

A strong pivot means or hinge means is required to withstand the toggleforces involved in the clamping operation and subsequent deformingoperation. In this connection, I prefer to form each jaw with front andrear trunnions 28 and 29 respectively pivoting in one of two openings Stin the front plate i8 and in one of two openings 3| in the rear plateit. In addition, the rear ends 26 and 27 of the jaws provide convexsurfaces turning in surface contact with correspondingly shaped walls ofarcuate channels 33 and EM formed in the body II and facing each otherto open on, and in part determine the boundaries of, the space i5. Theupper portion of the body provides relatively massive hook-like lips 35and 36 forming these arcuate channels 33 and 34, the channels extendingtransversely of the space i5 from one side of the body to the other.Outward forces, arising from the toggle action of the jaws 2| and 22,can thus be transmitted directly to the body H through extensive-areabearing surfaces.

The jaws 2| and 22 thus form a trap-door-lilze structure for the upperend of the space l5. The formed ends 24 and 25 of these jaws aredownwardly displaceable and provide for the clamping of ends of wires orother elements of various sizes. In this connection, each forward endprovides an end surface 48 disposed angularly with respect to themidplane of the jaw, the

two end surfaces being substantially parallel or actually in contact, ifno wire is inserted, when the jaws are in closed. position.

Gripping surfaces are formed on the forward ends of the jaws 2| and 22.Preferably, each end surface 48 carries a plurality of substantiallysemicircular cavities 49 of progressively different size, the cavitiesof one jaw being opposite correspondingly sized cavities of the otherjaw and cooperating therewith in defining a plurality ofelement-clamping spaces 50 of different size. If desired, the innerwalls of the cavities 49 may be roughened to give a firmer grip on thewire or other element but smooth walls are entirely satisfactory with.the large toggle-applied clamping forces involved.

If the end of the wire or other element is to be flared, the lower endof each element-clamping space 50 may be enlarged to formacorrespondingly shaped cavity 53. This cavity is formed half by one jawand half by the other.

A suitable gear means is preferablyprovided so that the jaws 2! and 22will swing together and so as to insure simultaneous and earn-angularmovement thereof. The preferred gear means includes two gear segments 55and 58 respectively connected to the forward'faces of the jaws 2i and 22 as by dowels 51 extending from these jaws into correspondingly sizedopeningsof the gear segments. These gear segments extend and move inindented spaces '58 in the forward face of the body II and eachspaceprovides a shoulder 59 which may be designed to be engaged by a corner69 of the adjacent gear segment to limit the movement of it and its jawtoward closed position. The gear segments carry teeth 6! meshing witheach other and formed on pitch circles concentric with the axis of thetrunnions 28, 29. Movement of one jaw thus insures equal movement of theother.

In addition, the jaws are preferably urged toward their closed orclamping position. This may be accomplished by forming a tab 63 on thegear segment 55 and extending outward through an opening 64 of the frontplate i6. One end of a spring 65 extends beneath the tab 63, this springextending around a shouldered portion of the projecting screw 18 andhaving its other end tensioned by a pin 66 of the front plate Hi. Inview of the geared connection between the jaws, spring tension need beapplied to only one of the jaws to be effective on both.

While clamped between the jaws 2i and 22, the end of the wire or otherelement is deformed or headed by upward movement of a correspondingdeforming member l0. A plurality of these members H! of progressivelyincreasing size slide in corresponding holes H of the body H. Eachdeforming member includes a pressure-exerting end, here shown as atapered punch 12, extending into the space l and axially aligned withits corresponding element-clamping space 50. Each deforming member has ahead 73 which may engage the bottom of the body H to limit its upwardmovement.

The heads 13 are simultaneously moved upward by engagement with ashoulder 14 of a pressure member 75. This pressure member is movedupward by suitable connection to an operating handle 16, being shown asbeing integral therewith. The operating handle 16 is bifurcated toprovide arms 11 on opposite sides of the body ll and pivoted thereto bya pin 18. A looped spring 80 resiliently urges the handles l2 and 16apart.

The tool is very easily assembled and disassembled. With one or bothplates [6, [9 removed, the jaws 2! and 22 can be slid into placetransversely of the body H with the convex surfaces of the jaws in thearcuate channels 33 and 34. The gear segments and 56 can be in place atthis time or later inserted. The side plate or plates are then securedin place and the spring hooked behind the pin 66.

The operation of the device, when used for heading a wire, is asfollows. The end of the wire is inserted in the correspondingly-sizedelement-clamping space 50 until its end face engages the tip of thetapered punch 12. This movement will spread the jaws 2| and 22 slightly,displacing each of them slightly toward open position against the actionof the spring 65. Any pressure tending to withdraw the wire will beresisted by an increased clamping of the jaws against the wire, due tothe toggle action. As the handles 12 and F6 are squeezed, all of thedeforming members H? are moved upward. That one of the deforming membersbelow the end of the clamped wire will be forced against the wire todeform or upset it andform 'a head or enlargement thereon. The shape ofthis head will be determined by the shape of the cavity -53 and thepunch 12. A typical shape is shown in Fig.6 which shows a wire-82providing a head 83 having an annular tapered surface 84, conforming tothe taper of the cavity 53, and an indented conical surface 85,corresponding to the shape of the tapered punch 72.

During the deformation, the upward pressure exerted by the deformingmembers will be resisted by the toggle action of the jaws, the clampingaction increasing with the upward pressure, thus permitting largedeforming forces without slippage of the wire. When the wire is to beremoved, itis necessary merely to apply downward pressure to one of thejaws to swing it and the other jaw into open position whereupon theheaded wire canberemoved.

While the invention has been exemplified as upsetting the end of a wireit should be clear that it can deform the ends of other cylindricalelements and that the shape of the cavity 53 and punch '12 can bemodified to produce the desired enlargement. It will be clear also thatvarious changes and modifications can be made without departing from thespirit of the-invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for deforming the end of a cylindrical element, thecombination of: a body providing a pair of hinge means; a toggle-actingvise means for receiving and retaining the end of said cylindricalelement and comprising a pair of toggle jaws respectively pivoting aboutsaid hinge means and providing forward ends adjacent each other andmovable from an open position in which said ends are spaced from eachother and disposed beyond a line joining said-hinge means to a clampingposition in which said ends are beyond said line but closer to eachother and to said line than when in said openposition, said forward endsproviding gripping surfaces -to engage and grip the end of saidcylindrical'element when disposed therebetween; a deforming memberincluding a pressure-exerting end; means for mounting said deformingmember to move relative to said bodyand axially toward said end of saidcylindrical element when gripped by said toggle jaws; and means formoving said deforming member perpendicular to said line and in adirection extending from said open to said clamping position of saidtoggle jaws to press said pressure-exerting end against the end of saidcylindrical element to tighten the grip of the jaws on said element, andto deform same.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said body provides a spaceand in which said hinge means comprise arcuate channels facing saidspace, said toggle jaws providing rear ends comprising convex bearingsurfaces respectively disposed in said arcuate channels.

3. In a device for deforming the end of a cylindrical element, thecombination of: a body providing a space open at one end and open on atleast one side, said body providing two arcuate channels facing saidspace and extending from side to side thereof; a side plate for closingsaid side of said space; two toggle jaws normally extending across theopen end of said space and providing forward ends adjacent each otherand rear ends comprising convex bearing surfaces respectively in saidarcuate channels; means for pivoting said toggle jaws to said side plateto move with said convex bearing surfaces within said arcuate channels,said movement being from an open position in which said forward ends arespaced from each other within said space to a clamping position in whichsaid forward ends are closer to each other and closer to a line joiningsaid arcuate channels, said forward ends providing gripping surfaces toengage and grip the end of said cylindrical element when disposedtherebetween; a deforming member including a pressure-exerting end; andmeans for moving said deforming member perpendicular to said line and ina direction extending from said open to said clamping position of saidtoggle jaws to force said pressure-exerting end against the end of saidcylindrical element to tighten the grip of the jaws on said element, andto deform same.

4. In a device for deforming an end of an elongated element, thecombination of a tool body providing an operating axis; clamping meanscomprising a pair of toggle jaws pivoted on said tool body for holdingthe elongated element with its axis substantially coinciding with saidoperating axis, said jaws being movable in the direction of saidoperating axis from an open position on one side of a line connectingthe points of pivotal connection of said jaws to said body to a clampingposition on the same side of, but closer to said line; a deformingmember carried by said tool body and movable relative thereto along saidoperating axis into engagement with the elongated element when thelatter is held by said clamping means; and means for moving saiddeforming member perpendicular to said line and in a direction extendingfrom said open to said clamping position of said toggle jaws intoengagement with said end of the elongated element to tighten the grip ofthe jaws on said element, and to deform said end.

WILLIAM A. VINSON.

REFERENCES CITED ihe following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 116,012 Beecher June 20, 1871126,549 Howard May 7, 1872. 240,174 Pearce Apr. 12, 1881 968,874 MorganAug. 30, 1910 1,433,775 Bowman Oct. 31, 1922 1,977,164 Wilcox Oct. 16,1934 2,005,487 Zemanek June 18, 1985 2,221,228 Maupin Nov. 12, 19402,302,794 Neukirch Nov. 24, 1942 2,415,896 Marsh Feb. 18, 1947

